FIG. 9 shows a memory card connector, generally designated 10, according to the prior art. The connector includes a main body 12 and a cover 14. The cover is slidably mounted on the body between an inoperative position P1 and an eject position P2. An eject device, generally designated 16, is provided for ejecting a memory card inserted into the connector between body 12 and cover 14.
Eject device 16 includes a rotary member 18 mounted on body 12, along with a torsion coil spring 20. The torsion coil spring is located such that one end thereof abuts against an inner wall of the body and an opposite end thereof is fixed to rotary member 18 to urge the rotary member in a clockwise direction by the coil spring.
When cover 14 is slidably moved from its inoperative position P1 to its eject position P2, a leading edge 18A of rotary member 18 is engaged with a protruding portion 14a projecting from the upper surface of cover 14, to thereby inhibit rotation of rotary member 18.
When cover 14 reaches its eject position P2, leading edge 18A of the rotary member disengages from protruding portion 14a of the cover, so that stored energy in coil spring 20 rotates the rotary member in the clockwise direction. The rotary member is provided with a card push-out portion 18b, so that when a memory card is inserted between the body and the cover, it is ejected by the card push-out portion in a direction indicated by arrow “A”.
After the memory card is ejected, cover 14 is slidably moved back to its inoperative position P1 by the action of a separate, second spring 22 interconnected between the body and the cover. In conjunction therewith, rotary member 18 is rotated counterclockwise by the action of protruding portion 14a on the cover engaging the rotary member.
A problem with the eject system of prior art connector 10 is that it requires one torsion coil spring 20 for effecting ejection of the memory card, and a second spring 22 for slidably moving cover 14. These multiple spring components unduly increase the number of components of the overall connector, which correspondingly increases assembly time, lowers productivity of the connector and increases the cost of the connector. The multiple springs also detract from providing as simple and compact a connector as possible. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing an eject device which has a single spring with multiple portions for performing multiple functions of ejecting the memory card as well as moving the cover.